Boiler help please
Discussion
Guys, I really need some help here. We moved into a new build in June 2010. The heating system is a big boiler in an upstairs cupboard called an OSO Indirect 20 RI. Then the label says "unvented water heater".
There is a warranty with the new build.
If you are familiar with this type of system, you will know there is a discharge pipe which comes from a tundis (beside the boiler) through the house, through the garage and terminates onto the driveway. We were told that if there is any water seen on the driveway below this pipe then the system needs to be "recommisioned".
To do this, you close off the hot water inlet to the boiler, the cold water inlet to the house, and then open both a hot and a cold tap downstairs until they stop flowing. Then close these and turn the 2 inlets back on. Job done.
However, I did this only 2 days ago, and after a shower tonight, I noticed there was water on the driveway.
We have had the fitters out for this before because I thought I was doing it wrong. The written instructions that come with the boiler are, quite frankly, shyte. The last time I phoned the fitters the boss guy started to become a bit arsey and began giving me the old telephone triage bit which wound me up no end. Eventually he sent someone round who went through the procedure which I followed closely (and even wrote it down). When he done it there seemed to be no discharge for a couple of months at least.
Back to my main concern: last winter there was discharge to the outside. Then the frost came. The system obviously continued to discharge but because the water at the pipe end was frozen, it travelled up, filling the pipe and then overflowing out of the tundis, all the way upstairs next to the boiler. Caused some damage to the wall below (we live in a 3 storey townhouse).
I most definitely do not want a repeat of this again this year. We were told you should only have to recommission yearly.
My question is, does can anyone give me a step by step guide to recommisioning this system, just to double check it's being done right. Then I have some comeback if they've been leading me up the garden path. Or if I'm just being a dumbass
Thanks guys.
There is a warranty with the new build.
If you are familiar with this type of system, you will know there is a discharge pipe which comes from a tundis (beside the boiler) through the house, through the garage and terminates onto the driveway. We were told that if there is any water seen on the driveway below this pipe then the system needs to be "recommisioned".
To do this, you close off the hot water inlet to the boiler, the cold water inlet to the house, and then open both a hot and a cold tap downstairs until they stop flowing. Then close these and turn the 2 inlets back on. Job done.
However, I did this only 2 days ago, and after a shower tonight, I noticed there was water on the driveway.
We have had the fitters out for this before because I thought I was doing it wrong. The written instructions that come with the boiler are, quite frankly, shyte. The last time I phoned the fitters the boss guy started to become a bit arsey and began giving me the old telephone triage bit which wound me up no end. Eventually he sent someone round who went through the procedure which I followed closely (and even wrote it down). When he done it there seemed to be no discharge for a couple of months at least.
Back to my main concern: last winter there was discharge to the outside. Then the frost came. The system obviously continued to discharge but because the water at the pipe end was frozen, it travelled up, filling the pipe and then overflowing out of the tundis, all the way upstairs next to the boiler. Caused some damage to the wall below (we live in a 3 storey townhouse).
I most definitely do not want a repeat of this again this year. We were told you should only have to recommission yearly.
My question is, does can anyone give me a step by step guide to recommisioning this system, just to double check it's being done right. Then I have some comeback if they've been leading me up the garden path. Or if I'm just being a dumbass
Thanks guys.
If the OSO is absorbing it's bubble in a short space of time I'd bite the bullet and fit an external pressure vessel. You can take the diptube out of the top of the cylinder and cut it off too thereby giving you substantially more hot water storage. Reinstating the bubble is easy enough. Turn off the water coming in and drain from the Drain-off Cock until you are down below dip-tube level. You can tell this by draining it down until the Pressure/Temperature relief valve no longer drips when opened.
LMC said:
To do this, you close off the hot water inlet to the boiler, the cold water inlet to the house, and then open both a hot and a cold tap downstairs until they stop flowing. Then close these and turn the 2 inlets back on. Job done.
OK, I'm not familiar with these units (it's a hot water tank though, isn't it, not a boiler?) but that procedure doesn't sound right. "Hot water inlet to the boiler"? Hot water from where?
Deva Link said:
LMC said:
To do this, you close off the hot water inlet to the boiler, the cold water inlet to the house, and then open both a hot and a cold tap downstairs until they stop flowing. Then close these and turn the 2 inlets back on. Job done.
OK, I'm not familiar with these units (it's a hot water tank though, isn't it, not a boiler?) but that procedure doesn't sound right. "Hot water inlet to the boiler"? Hot water from where?
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